Offenbach: Cycling Routes, Culture and Regional Discoveries

Exploring by bike and on foot

The Main Cycle Route follows the Main from its source to its mouth, passing through Franconian and Hessian landscapes with regional features along the way. In the Offenbach district, Mainhausen, Seligenstadt, Hainburg and Mühlheim am Main lie along this route. The Main Cycle Route takes a varied course away from heavy traffic and is signposted to an exemplary standard. If you’d like to make a longer cycling route the centrepiece of your stay, this route extends well beyond the district.

Another option is the 190-kilometre Regionalpark Circular Route. It connects orchards and wetlands with works of art, historical sites, viewpoints and play areas. As a key cycling and hiking connection in the Rhine-Main region, it appeals both to people who enjoy cycling and to those who prefer to explore on foot. You can experience individual sections by bike or on foot, so you don’t need to plan your trip around the entire circular route.

Educational trails and nature along the Rodau

The Egelsbach Evolution Trail is 1.1 kilometres long and features 19 signs. They illustrate significant developments and events in evolution. The trail begins directly opposite the entrance to Egelsbach airfield. Part of it overlaps with the Rhine-Main Regional Park Route. The trail’s stations give a walk a shared educational theme, making it a good choice for families who want to combine nature and learning along the way.

Nature and landscape history take centre stage on the Rodau Educational Trail. The trail is just under six kilometres long and runs between Urberach and Ober-Roden. Twelve information boards describe the nature in, along and around the Rodau, including fish, small animals, birds and plants, as well as conservation successes. The trail also highlights how the river has changed over time: its history includes four former riverside mills, earlier stream courses and the river’s straightening in the 1930s. Renaturalisation began in 2009. Alongside its nature-related themes, the trail thus offers insight into how the Rodau was managed in the past and later on.

Seligenstadt: Buildings and stories

The Einhard Basilica is Seligenstadt’s present-day landmark and is regarded as one of the most significant Carolingian churches on German soil. The RegioMuseum complements this focus on cultural history with a range of subjects: it covers prehistory and early history, folklore and traditional crafts, as well as painting and sculpture from the 15th to the 18th century. The exhibition also includes the history of the town and Seligenstadt Abbey. The Palatium on the Main dates back to the Hohenstaufen period and was probably built by Emperor Barbarossa as a hunting lodge.

There are various ways to explore local history. The guided walk “In die Sommerfrische” (“A Summer Retreat”) leads from the monastery along the Main to the moated castle. The route is about 3.5 kilometres long and tells the story of the former Benedictine abbey. The free “Stolpersteine” (“Stumbling Stones”) walk starts at the Jewish cemetery and passes selected stumbling stones, stopping at various sites to share the life stories of Jewish residents of Seligenstadt. It is open to everyone. If you’d prefer a longer hike, you can walk the 60-kilometre Einhard Trail between Seligenstadt and Michelstadt in either direction. It is marked with a white “E” on a red background.

Hessian specialities and apple wine

Regional delicacies can also help shape the character of a trip. Along the Offenbach City and District Regional Loop of the Hessian Apple Wine and Orchard Route, restaurants serve Hessian specialities. A traditional Hessian choice is apple wine in a ribbed glass. In Seligenstadt, Glaabsbräu offers brewery tours designed as a multisensory experience, ending with a refreshing Glaabs beer. When choosing what to focus on during your holiday, you can weigh up excursions into the countryside, cultural history and regional food and drink.

More local pages

For further inspiration, you can also visit the local pages for Rodgau, Seligenstadt, Offenbach Am Main, Obertshausen, Neu Isenburg, Rödermark, Mainhausen, Langen, Heusenstamm, Dreieich, Hainburg, Mühlheim Am Main, Egelsbach, Dudenhofen and Dietzenbach.

For the broader travel overview: Hesse.